- 3 - A/130/2-P.2 ANNEX II Original: Bilingual

THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTS AND THE IPU IN FIGHTING TERRORISM AND ACHIEVING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY THROUGH A PEACEFUL POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE SITUATION IN SYRIA AND RESPECT FOR RESOLUTIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL

LEGITIMACY AND THE PRINCIPLES OF SOVEREIGNTY AND NON-INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF OTHER STATES

Explanatory memorandum submitted by the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic The delegation of the People's Assembly of the Syrian Arab Republic requests that the Members of the IPU approve the inclusion of the following emergency item in the agenda of the 130th IPU Assembly:

"The role of parliaments and the IPU in fighting terrorism and achieving international peace and security through a peaceful political solution to the situation in Syria and respect for resolutions with international legitimacy and the principles of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States".

What has been taking place in Syria over the past three years has become a topic of interest for people across the world, which forces the IPU to express its opinion on that situation and to take the initiative to do what is necessary. This also obliges it to create a real movement among its Member Parliaments, especially those whose governments act in a way that harms our people more than anything else. The crisis actually started on 15 March 2011, with planned protests to appear peaceful. Under the pretext of those demonstrations, armed groups carried out armed terrorist acts targeting the police. Despite strict instructions not to use force against protesters, they also targeted civilians, who, even in the early weeks, made for dozens of innocent martyrs. The Syrian Government tried to contain these protests by remaining ever attentive to their demands, especially those concerning political reform. It lifted the state of emergency, passed a contemporary law on political parties, a new electoral law, a new law on local administration, granted citizenship to all Kurds who had not been included in the 1962 census, set up a commission entrusted with drafting a new constitution that provides for the political system in Syria to be based on political pluralism and the peaceful transition of power. That commission completed its work within the stipulated deadlines and a referendum on the new constitution was held, which was approved by the Syrian people and which has been in force since 27 February 2012. The new Constitution is premised on the principles of democracy and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Parliamentary elections took place on 7 May 2012 on the basis of the new Constitution, which itself is premised on political pluralism. As a result, certain opposition forces were successful in becoming members of the People's Assembly of Syria. Yet interference by governments wishing to harm the Syrian people and State by financing, arming, training and giving refuge to terrorist elements who brand others as atheists, facilitating their movement within Syria, fuelling their terrorist activities with a global media-staged war that distorts the truth and misleads global public opinion means that Syria is facing an unprecedented external war in terms of style, ferocity and the harm it is inflicting on the Syrian people and State. This includes mobilizing terrorist organizations from across the world to kill and destroy Syria. The number of suicide terrorist operations carried out by those organizations, in particular by AI-Nusra Front with links to AI-Qaida, exceeds 700 to date, to which thousands of Syrian civilians have fallen victim.

24 DE MAIO DE 2014________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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